Swedish journalist Per Bjurman was in Detroit and talking to Nick Lidstrom and Holmstrom outside the lockerrom at the Joe, when Mike Babcock came by and had this to say:

- I love you more than when you played, because now I understand how much you meant. Our f****** powerplay ... I can not get anyone to do what you did. Damn, "Homer", if I had known better maybe I would have appreciated you a bit more, he shrieks happily, unaware that it is a Swedish journalist next to them...

Yeah, I think part of the problem is that in Lids and Homer, the Wings had two huge pieces in the PP that were honestly all-time greats at what they did. Lids was all-around amazing, yes we know that. But Homer was also one of the best ever at chipping in pucks and digging them out of corners. I think Babs may have gotten too comfortable with two guys that are irreplaceable, and now he's admitting that he is having a hell of a time without them.

Franzen was actually doing a decent job on the PP in Homer's role, but as fate would have it, he's injured. The Wings need a 3rd jersey with a band-aid on a ratty broken looking Wing. Pretty soon the press box for players will be a giant hot tub to soak all the injured players during the games. There's no such thing this year as the Black Aces call ups cause they're all going to be regulars .

Hey Mike, who are your Black Aces this year?

Well, I got Sprahoul, Ouahletti and Ja-hurco. Kids names these days are so hard to pronounce, i'm still working on learning Filapapoola...

Yandle = Kronwall. I've watched a bunch of games involving the Yotes this year and noticed just that. What we're missing is a guy that's basically Ericsson with more offence. I'm waiting for Oullet and Sproul to turn pro cause I think those 2 are the real deal. What i wouldn't mind seeing though is trying to get a guy like Diaz from the Habs. We need solid Dmen for now that can keep the puck out of our net and provide occasional offence, which is why we need Huskins back in the line up. He's the only shutdown D we have not named Ericsson.

Yandle = Kronwall. I've watched a bunch of games involving the Yotes this year and noticed just that. What we're missing is a guy that's basically Ericsson with more offence. I'm waiting for Oullet and Sproul to turn pro cause I think those 2 are the real deal. What i wouldn't mind seeing though is trying to get a guy like Diaz from the Habs. We need solid Dmen for now that can keep the puck out of our net and provide occasional offence, which is why we need Huskins back in the line up. He's the only shutdown D we have not named Ericsson.

You can't be serious...

"Some guys dream about scoring goals, or making big saves... I swear to God I dream about kicking ass in a hockey fight - no other way to say it than I love to do it, its who I am"... Brian McGrattan

"If I were to wish for anything, I should not wish for wealth and power, but for the passionate sense of the potential, for the eye which, ever young and ardent, sees the possible. Pleasure disappoints, possibility never. And what wine is so sparkling, what so fragrant, what so intoxicating, as possibility!" - Kierkegaard